Shingling-gage.



J. I. O'BRIEN. SHINGLING GAGE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909.

936, 152. I Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

' 9 344 mm c/amzealO new. QXR muse a JAMES I. OIBRIEN, 0F ELKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA.

SHINGLING-GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed June 4, 1909. Serial No. 500,109.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES I. OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkton, in the county of Brookings, State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shingling- Gages; and I .do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a shingling gage and more particularly to the class of shingling hatchets.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a gage attachment for hatchets in which rows of shingles may be accurately placed for shingling a roof and this gage being capable of adjustment at the will of an operator.

The ordinary practice or method of shingling a roof is after laying the first row of shingles to lay the rest of the shingles by means of a line or a straight edge gage which requires much time and the operation has to be carried out by those skilled in the art.

In the present instance there is provided a hatchet to which is connected a gage which latter is adjustably mounted at the blade of the hatchet and by placing the right angular extension of the gage against the butt of a shingle in the first row and laying the butt of the shingle to be placed next above it against the head or striking portion of the hatchet the position of each and all shingles is accurately determined without the necessity for lining or other contrivance. Furthermore the hatchet may be utilized for cutting or chopping purposes in the ordinary manner.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described in cletail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred form of embodiment of the invention and as brought out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hatchet with the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 83 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the gage plate removed from the hatchet.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

In the drawings the numeral 5 designates generally a hatchet which is of the ordinary or well known construction the same being provided with a head or striker portion 6, and a wing or blade portion 7, provided with a beveled cutting edge 8, for convenience in turnlng or cuttlng the edges of shingles.

This hatchet is fitted onto a handle 9, so that the same may be readily manipulated by the user.

Mounted upon one face of the blade portion 7, of the hatchet is an adjustable gage comprising an elongated plate 10, having therein an elongated guide slot 11, the latter receiving a threaded bolt 12, mounted in a suitable opening contained in the blade portion of the hatchet, and this plate 10, is held adjusted by a lock nut 13, threaded on the bolt 12, and this nut works against the outer face of the gage plate.

At one edge of the gage plate 10, are right angularly disposed tongues or lugs 151, which latter engage the outer straight edge 15, of the blade portion 7, to prevent the turning of the gage plate when connected thereto.

The gage plate 10, at one extremity is bent outwardly at right angles thereto to form a terminal or abutment extension or ear 16. Upon the outer face of the gage plate is a graduated scale 17, the latter adapted to cooperate with a pointer mark 18, upon the blade portion 7, of the hatchet so that the gage plate may be adjusted to any desired point with respect to the scale thereon.

In operation, the gage plate 10 is adjusted to the desired point upon the blade portion 7, of the hatchet, which latter is positioned so as to have its straight edge 15, lie upon a shingle already attached to the roof, the abutment extension or ear 16, resting against the butt of said shingle. Now the butt of a shingle which is to be laid in the next row above the row previously laid is then placed against the striker head 6, of the hatchet and thereafter secured in position by being nailed or otherwise fastened to the roof.

WVhat is claimed is The combination with a hatchet having a striking head and blade portion, of a plate having a scale along one edge thereof, an abutment ear at one terminal of the plate and being disposed at right angles thereto,

engaging tongues formed at the opposite edge of the plate and adapted to engage the outer straight edge of the hatchet, the said plate being provided with an elongated slot, a bolt fastener carried by the blade portion of the hatchet and engaging in the elongated slot to clamp the gage plate to the said hatchet, and a degree mark on the blade portion and cooperative With the scale on the gage plate.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES I. OBR-IEN. WVitnesses:

P. A, LYNCH, E. E. POWDERLY. 

